Every
reconstruction project begins with research. In an ideal situation, the
object is preserved. In other cases you have to piece the object you
are attempting to reconstruct from secondary sources, such as images,
textile fragments, research articles and books and by the practical
knowhow available. This starting point for my "Project: Paperdoll" is
rather ideal, since the garments actually exist and are preserved. This
makes many things easier, since I do not have to pour through volumes of
research in order to find the appropriate materials and techniques.
Plainly speaking: the garments are the source and all the information is
there. Last
April I had the joy and privilege to peak inside the collection storage
room in Turku Museum Centre, where they keep the garments and
accsessories that are shown in the the paperdoll.

1700-luvun loppupuolen ruotsalaisessa kuviokudotussa villakamlottiröijyssä on istutetut hihat. The pattern woven wool jacket from the latter part of the 18th century Sweden has separately cut and set sleeves. Nordiska museet.

Since there are two sc. short short gowns in the set, I decided to take a look at them both, although I've only planned on attempting to reconstruct the red one of the two. The terminology of the extant jacket type garment in Finland is not always clear and can vary in different publications and collections. I've followed the terminology used by the Finnish costume historian Riitta Pylkkänen in Säätyläisnaisten pukeutuminen Suomessa 1700-luvulla (The Dress of Gentlewomen in 18th century Finland) (1982) and use the term short gown in translation. The swedish word in contemporary records is "kofta" or "kåfta". Despite this, the red garment is often referred to as a jacket ("tröija" in Swedish and "röijy" in Finnish) in the litterature conserning folkdress.

There seems to have been a rather clear distinction between the two, though: the short gowns in Finland were cut with two undivided front- and back pieces. These were sewn together at the center back seam and at the side seams that run from the sleeve opening to the hem. The jackets called "röijy" had separately set sleeves and shoulder seams. Though the look and shape of these garments could be very simialr, the distinction between the two was most likely clear to the tailors of the day, since the amount of measurments required to make a "nuttu" or a "röijy" differed considerably. During the rococo the short gown/nuttu was an everyday garment for the gentlewomen and the finer ones could also be used on festive occasions. The jacket/röijy was considered to be a commoners garment until the last quarter of the century. At this time, the neoclassical ideals and admiration of the natural gave the common jacket/röijy a boost and it landed into gentlewomen's wardrobes and wills during the epoch named after king Gustav III.

Punainen nuttu

The red short gown

1780-luvun nutun etupuoli. Etuosan valkoiset langat ovat ilmeisesti myöhempi lisäys. Nuttu on suljettu todennäköisesti neuloin. The front of the 1780's short gown. The white threads seem to be a later additon. The garment was most likely pinned suht with needels. TMK 6120. Kuva / Photo: neulansilmanlapi.blogspot.fi

The
rasberry red short gown comes from Salo Uskela and it's dated to
1780's. With a peak in to the microscope, textile conservator Tanja
Huikuri could confirm that both the weft and the warp are wool. The
tightly spun plainwoven fabric is called "kamlott" in contemporary
sources. It was a valued and popular choice of fabric for bodices,
jackets and short gowns among the common women in Finland at the time.
This short gown is also the model for the woman's folk dress in Salo.

Kimonohihaisessa nutussa ei ole lainkaan olkasaumoja eikä erillistä liitoskohtaa hihan ja vaatteen välillä. The kimono sleeved short gown does not have any seams at the shoulders or between the sleeves and the body of the garment. TMK 6120. Kuva / Photo: neulansilmanlapi.blogspot.fi

The
other short gown represents a later style and it's dated to 1780's -
1790's. The fabric is very fine with a varying woven striped and still
retains much of it's original shine. It's almost mindboggling to imagine
that the garment is really over 200 years old. It was added to the collections in 1958. The stitching looks neater in comparison to the red garments - perhaps due to the finer materials used here.

Myös tässä 1700-luvun lopun nutussa on muodikas haarukkaleikkaus ja kimonohihat. This short gown has similar kimono sleeves and the fashinable fork-like back as the red one. TMK 15284. Kuva / Photo: neulansilmanlapi.blogspot.fi

Hihaa on jatkettu erillisellä palasella. Tämä viittaa todennäköisesti siihen, että silkkikankaan alkuperäinen leveys ei ole riittänyt yhtenäisesti leikattuihin hihoihin. The sleeve has been continued with an additional piece of fabric. This suggests that the original width of the fabric was not wide enough for the garments sleeves to be cut as one with body. TMK 15284. Kuva / Photo: neulansilmanlapi.blogspot.fi

Sivukiila levittää muutoin niukkalinjaisen nutun helmaa vyötärön alapuolella. Kiilan vuori on ommeltu yliluottelupistolla päältä päin. The side gores widen the hem below the waistline. The lining is pieced and stitched from the right side with visible stitching. TMK 15284. Kuva / Photo: neulansimanlapi.blogspot.fi